Warning: Prepare yourself for an onslaught of visuals.
Today's post is going to be about my first getaway for this summer.
Photo creds: Urban Retreat website
Photo creds: Urban Retreat website
Photo creds: Urban Retreat website
Address: BTS Asoke
Website: www.urbanretreatspa.net
Crossed the road to T21 to have steamboat for dinner at MK restaurant after. Was most excited about having their duck but we only found out that it was sold out by the time we were seated. Probably because by the time we came it was already 8p.m.
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That's all I've for part 1 of my trip to BKK. Part 2 will be up soon!
Today's post is going to be about my first getaway for this summer.
Destination was none other than Bangkok! Went for a total of 5 days.
Going to Bangkok is pretty much an annual pilgrimage of sorts for me. I've been going there almost at least once every year since I was young. Can never get enough of the good & yet inexpensive shopping, food, massages, etc!
BKK is definitely a place I'll probably never get sick of despite going again & again.
Something a handful of people were asking me before my trip was why I was still going even after the recent military coup in Thailand, especially after it was widely reported in the media.
Well for one, the curfews have already ended! When I went, I didn't encounter any rallies or see any signs of disharmony. It hardly felt like the military had usurped the PM's power & completely taken over. People just continued going about their business as usual.
DAY 1
Was my first time taking SCOOT! airlines ever as I wanted to try it. I'm usually quite a loyal SIA customer but since SCOOT is supposed to be under SIA I decided to give it a try. For such a short flight I figured it wouldn't be that bad.
Sat on biz class. Although it was nothing fancy & SIA's business class is obviously way better, it was still a comfortable 1hr25min journey. There's inflight entertainment if you've an iPad/laptop as well (not sure about economy class though).
The aircraft seems rather similar to that of SIA so I wouldn't be surprised if both carriers used the same planes.
Took a peek into the economy section & for such a short flight it seems fine too! Of course there is more leg room in biz though.
Lovely view from the plane just before touching down in BKK.
By the time we touched down in BKK, it was already 8p.m & we took a cab to our hotel.
Just in case you aren't familiar with BKK, just a small tip: make sure to tell the cab driver to use the meter instead of letting them fix a price.
Stayed in Hotel Vie since I had a good stay previously.
Welcome drinks from the hotel!
Random fact: Apparently Kim Woo Bin's gf who's quite a famous model in Korea as well, had a photo-shoot at Hotel Vie & stayed there! Told you it was random.. LOL.
As silly as it may sound, one of my favorite things about BKK are the hotels! The standard of a hotel is a huge factor whenever I'm on holiday. Compared to other countries, the hotels in BKK are way more luxurious, which is great news for people who are particular like me!
Booked 2 suites since I was with my family and there are 4 of us. 2 people per room.
Went in search of a supper place right after checking into our hotel. Ended up at this rather new establishment - Garlic & Onion cafe restaurant which served authentic thai food!
Highly recommend this place & even ended up going a 2nd time!
My favorite thai snack!
Riced crackers with a minced pork dip.
Ordered 2 portions of this & finished more than half of it by myself.
Many other thai restaurants have this dish on their menu as well so you don't have to come to this restaurant specifically.
Address:
Langsuan Road (just a few shops down from Hotel Muse)
Nearest BTS station: Chid Lom
Whenever I'm in BKK, I almost always have a massage right before going to bed so of course, that is just what I did after having supper.
DAY 2
Took the BTS train to Siam since it was only one stop away from our hotel.
Pretty much covered most of Siam's shopping attractions (i.e. Siam Square, Siam centre, Siam discovery, Siam paragon) today.
Shopping in Siam, especially Siam Square, is the best. So many cheap & great finds! The department stores in Siam Paragon & Siam Centre also houses many of my favorite local designers!
Siam Paragon
Siam Square
There's also a new mall in Siam Square called Siam Square square 1. Its relatively new so quite a few shops are not opened just yet. There's a hello kitty cafe as well so I've marked it as one of the places to visit on my next trip to BKK!
Lunch at one of my favorite places for authentic thai food - Somtam!
As the name suggests, their Somtam really is one of the best I've tried!
Every dish I've had there has never disappointed.
Another one of their signatures are their chicken wings. Beats KFC hands down.
Address: Somtam Nua, Siam Square Soi 5, Rama 1 Road
Also managed to squeeze in a visit to Terminal 21 for more shopping - another one of my favorite places to shop in BKK! It's a proper mall which houses mainstream stores such as H&M, as well as individual stores similar to the ones in Siam Square.
Went back to the Siam area after that & had dinner at Greyhound Cafe in Siam Centre. Another place I always visit for a meal whenever I'm in BKK. They dish up some really yummy fusion thai food!
Clam chowder soup
Thai iced tea granita ~
DAY 3
Woke up slightly earlier to take a cab to Chatuchak (jatujak/JJ) weekend market in the morning. Another place I always have to visit whenever I'm in BKK.
Usually prefer to go in the morning & leave at around noon since the sun tends to get even stronger come afternoon.
If you don't like squeezing through crowded small alleys under the sun's glare, then chatuchak probably won't be your cup of tea.
'm not a fan of being exposed to UV rays but I personally think braving the heat is worth it for all the hidden gems I find there! From clothes & homeware to the pets section, there is something for everybody.
Bought this floppy hat to keep the sun's rays at bay!
Bought this really refreshing coconut ice-cream from one of the roadside carts in chatuchak to combat the heat with.
Topped with nata de coco jelly, peanuts & red bean.
Need to have this every time I go to chatuchak. Craving for it already :(
Do keep in mind that chatuchak is really big so make sure you roughly know which soi (section) you want to go to beforehand.
Went back to the hotel to freshen up before heading out for high tea at the Grand Hyatt Erawan tea room.
Our hotel provides a free tuk tuk service to certain locations so we took advantage of that to get there! Tuk tuks are one of my favorite modes of transport, always get a cheap thrill out of riding them! haha :)
Doesn't look like a lot of food but by the 2nd tier I was stuffed!
Came back to the hotel yet again to check out & move hotels to Hotel Muse.
Another hotel I've stayed at numerous times. Would go so far as to say that its one of the best hotels to stay in in Bangkok. Its listed as one of the top 20 hotels in Bangkok under trip advisor as well!
Location wise, its near Chid Lom station, which is easily accessible by the hotel's complimentary tuk tuk service. From there, its only one station away from Siam.
Welcome drinks again - vodka, limoncello, & the other 2 are nonalcoholic. The thais really are one of the best in terms of hospitality!
Booked the Yama Residence.
I think decor definitely plays a huge part in a room & I love the decor of the whole hotel.
My chill corner on the comfy sofa.
No makeup whatsoever, which was how I went the whole entire tripppp.
Hotel pool
Went to Urban Retreat spa for a relaxing 2 hour full body Thai massage.
Photo creds: Urban Retreat website
Address: BTS Asoke
Website: www.urbanretreatspa.net
Crossed the road to T21 to have steamboat for dinner at MK restaurant after. Was most excited about having their duck but we only found out that it was sold out by the time we were seated. Probably because by the time we came it was already 8p.m.
Total bill was 394baht which is around $16.... After living in the UK I often convert currency into pounds as well, which makes this whole meal 8GBP.... in UK you can probably get a plate of rice & just one other side dish....
Why is everything in Bangkok so cheap!!
Spontaneously decided to head to Siam Paragon for their midnight sale after dinner. Shopped so much in the span of one & a half hours.... We were one of the last to leave the department store & almost got locked in.
After dumping our shopping in the hotel room, I was thirsty so decided to head upstairs to the hotel's rooftop bar to drink.
It's called The SpeakEasy & is actually an award-winning bar! I'm not a drinker nor do I go to bars often so I don't really know what makes a bar award-winning but I guess I can see why The SpeakEasy is one.
I don't really like going to bars as I've the impression that its filled with rowdy, drunk people & that isn't exactly my scene.... Fortunately, this bar was the exact opposite of that. It was a classy atmosphere. Music by the live DJ was really good, & overall it just had a really chill vibe. No monkey business from any of the patrons. Totally my type of bar (if I were to have a type of bar).. HAHA.
To add to all that, the view from the 25th floor, undoubtedly, did not disappoint!
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That's all I've for part 1 of my trip to BKK. Part 2 will be up soon!
This post may have seemed slightly repetitive, especially since I seemed to have the same routine everyday - shop, eat, massage, eat, shop, sleep. Wish I could have this routine everyday for the rest of my life though!! haha.
Also, I'm thinking of just doing a separate post on a guide to BKK so it'll be easier to read through if you're planning your trip. Thoughts?
xx
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